La Llorona

"La Llorona" is Spanish for "The Crying Woman" and is a popular legend in Spanish-speaking cultures in the colonies of the Americas. The basic story is that La Llorona was a beautiful woman who killed her children to be with the man that she loved and was subsequently rejected by him. She drowned the children and then killed herself. She is doomed to wander, vainly searching for her children for all eternity. The legend serves as a cautionary tale on several levels. Parents will warn their children that bad behavior will cause La Llorona to abduct them, and that being outside after dark will result in her visitation. The tale also warns young women not to be enticed by status, wealth, material goods, or by men who make declarations of love or lavish promises.
The famous Oaxacan folksong La Llorona has been covered by many great Mexican singers such as Lila Downs, Suzannah Harp, and perhaps most famously, the great and recently deceased Chavela Vargas in the film Frida.
Martha Rodríguez-Salazar, flute and voice
Jessica Ivry, cello
Jennifer Peringer, piano
The Bernal Hill Players is an adventurous chamber music group from San Francisco whose three core members play clarinet, flute, voice, piano and percussion. Their fascinatingly diverse repertoire includes European classics, Latin American favorites, and newly commissioned pieces by Californian and Mexican composers.
www.bernalhillplayers.com
Recorded live at the Community Music Center on January 27, 2013. Tony Tru, videograpaher.